Manganese

Manganese

What does it do?

Manganese is involved in the formation of bone and is a component of many enzymes that play important roles in protein, cholesterol and carbohydrate metabolism.

What are the best food sources?

Whole grains contribute the most manganese to U.S. diets, followed by tea. One cup of green tea contains about 0.41-1.58 milligrams of manganese and one cup of black tea contains about 0.18-0.77 milligrams. Some fruits and vegetables, including pineapple, beans, spinach and sweet potatoes, are also good sources.

What happens if you don’t get enough?

Since manganese is so widely distributed in the food system, cases of deficiency due to poor dietary intakes have not been reported in humans. In human studies where manganese depletion has been induced, subjects developed skin rashes and abnormally low blood cholesterol levels.

What happens if you get too much?

Manganese toxicity from foods has not been reported in humans. Toxic levels of manganese are a well-recognized hazard for people employed in industrial jobs where manganese dust may be inhaled. This can cause nervous-system effects that mimic Parkinson’s disease, including tremors, difficulty walking and facial spasms.

How much do you need?

The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

Life Stage Group

Age Range

Recommended Dietary Allowance/Adequate Intake

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

Infants

0-6 mo.

0.003* milligrams/day

Not determinable for infants due to lack of data on adverse effects in this age group and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Infants

7-12 mo.

0.6* milligrams/day

Not determinable for infants due to lack of data on adverse effects in this age group and concern about inability to handle excess amounts. Source should be from food only to prevent high levels of intake.

Children

1-3 yr.

1.2* milligrams/day

2 milligrams/day

Children

4-8 yr.

1.5* milligrams/day

3 milligrams/day

Males

9-13 yr.

1.9* milligrams/day

6 milligrams/day

Males

14-18 yr.

2.2* milligrams/day

9 milligrams/day

Males

19-30 yr.

2.3* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Males

31-50 yr.

2.3* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Males

51-70 yr.

2.3* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Males

> 70 yr.

2.3* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Females

9-13 yr.

1.6* milligrams/day

6 milligrams/day

Females

14-18 yr.

1.6* milligrams/day

9 milligrams/day

Females

19-30 yr.

1.8* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Females

31-50 yr.

1.8* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Females

51-70 yr.

1.8* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Females

> 70 yr.

1.8* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Pregnancy

< 18 yr.

2* milligrams/day

9 milligrams/day

Pregnancy

19-30 yr.

2* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Pregnancy

31-50 yr.

2* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Lactation

< 18 yr.

2.6* milligrams/day

9 milligrams/day

Lactation

19-30 yr.

2.6* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

Lactation

31-50 yr.

2.6* milligrams/day

11 milligrams/day

NOTE: The table is adapted from the Dietary Reference Intakes reports. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), when available, are in bold type; Adequate Intakes (AIs) are followed by an asterisk(*). RDAs and AIs may both be used as goals for individual intake. RDAs are set to meet the needs of almost all individuals (97 to 98 percent) in a group. For healthy breastfed infants, the AI is the mean intake. The AI for other life stage and gender groups is believed to cover the needs of all individuals in the group, but lack of data means the percentage of individuals covered by this intake cannot be specified with confidence.
Values in parentheses, marked with a double asterisk (**) represent the RDA/AI in micrograms.
UL = The maximum level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects. Unless otherwise specified, the UL represents total intake from food, water and supplements.